


The one where Steve teaches Bucky how to swim

by brokentoy



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-12
Updated: 2014-06-12
Packaged: 2018-02-04 10:48:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1776364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokentoy/pseuds/brokentoy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>‘’Just get into the water slowly, don’t be scared.’’</p><p>‘’ ‘m not,’’ Bucky hisses. It’s enough to get him moving though and he steps further towards Steve until he has water up to his chest.</p><p>‘’Good, good.’’ Steve keeps floating for a moment longer then steadies himself on his feet and reaches his arms over to Bucky. ‘’Take my hands.’’</p>
            </blockquote>





	The one where Steve teaches Bucky how to swim

The fresh water against their skin is a relief from the hot August air, a slight breeze blowing past them as they make their way deeper into the river. The current is inexistent enough they can practice and the faint voices of kids come from enough far down that Steve knows they will be undisturbed. 

Bucky follows him closely, yelping as he gets wet and grumbling under his breath.

‘’This was your idea,’’ Steve reminds him and then he dives, holds his breath as he swims for a couple of seconds turning underwater and resurfacing facing the way they came. Bucky is there, hasn’t moved an inch by himself. Steve keeps himself afloat even if he knows his feet would touch ground no problem if he wanted them to. ‘’Come on Buck. You wanna learn, there’s no other way to do it!’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Bucky nods weakly, but still doesn’t move. His eyes dart left and right, his hands skim the water testily. Steve looks at him and smiles; fourteen years old and Bucky has always been a champion at anything he wanted. He could run faster than the other boys, throw a punch like the best of them and play ball like second nature, but he never had it in him to learn to swim and this is the summer he finally decided to let Steve teach him. It’s the first time Steve has the chance to teach Bucky something involving their bodies, and he revels in it. 

‘’Just get into the water slowly, don’t be scared.’’

‘’ ‘m not,’’ Bucky hisses. It’s enough to get him moving though and he steps further towards Steve until he has water up to his chest.

‘’Good, good.’’ Steve keeps floating for a moment longer then steadies himself on his feet and reaches his arms over to Bucky. ‘’Take my hands.’’

Bucky does, holds onto Steve’s hands with a solid grip as he keeps walking. He leans forward when Steve encourages him to and when Steve says ‘’Now let the water hold you up, use your feet,’’ he does. He ends up going down like a stone, head disappearing under the water until he comes up a second later sputtering and coughing, hair sticking up everywhere as he shakes his head like a big dog. Steve laughs but the glare Bucky throws at him makes him stop right away. He tangles their fingers together and smiles gently. ‘’It’s normal, it’s okay. You’re doing good Buck I promise.’’

‘’Shut up.’’ Bucky blushes so hard his bronzed skin looks sunburnt and he looks away. ‘’This was a stupid idea.’’

‘’No it wasn’t,’’ Steve says as he walks closer to him until they’re only just a few inches apart. ‘’Just follow my example. I’m not letting you go. Here,’’ he steps backwards and takes Bucky with him, ‘’let the ground go, I’ll pull you with me and you’ll see how easy it is.’’

He does just that, pulls Bucky as he lets his feet kick in the water. He brackets Bucky’s body with his legs as he builds in momentum, Bucky following until he finally does the same and starts floating, his head awkwardly out of the water and his legs kicking inelegantly behind him. They move like that, Steve completely at ease and Bucky frowning in concentration, holding hands as they swim for a couple of yards.

Steve leads them in circles, never going too far where their feet don’t reach even though he’s not afraid and Bucky touches farther than he would with the half a foot he has over Steve. They do this until Steve is satisfied enough with Bucky’s technique to try something else.

Bucky finds his footing again and stands on it. The early afternoon sun is burning over them and the breeze has stopped. Laughs and screams of joy travel up the river from where the children are playing but the air is otherwise still. Steve looks at Bucky and they smile at each other stupidly.

‘’That wasn’t bad,’’ Bucky says. It sounds like a question, a little anxious on the edges.

‘’No,’’ Steve says, his smile growing bigger, ‘’it really wasn’t.’’ He shoves down on his feet and the force of it pushes him out of the water until he lands and starts swimming lazily backwards again. ‘’Now try again on your own,’’ he lets his legs do the work and wiggles his hands, ‘’come here.’’

Bucky looks at him skeptically for a second, then a frown of determination appears in the middle of his eyes and he dives. When he comes up he’s not sputtering and even though it’s still awkward he’s swimming towards Steve like he’s moving only out of sheer force of will. His legs splash behind him and his arms move like huge puppy paws under his body but he’s moving, glare fixed on Steve as he watches him go and turn again in circles, moving away as Bucky tries to reach him.

When he finally decides it’s okay, that Bucky looks confident enough in what he’s doing they can stop for now, Steve stops and lets Bucky get near. He grabs his hands and pulls him forward, expecting Bucky to stand with him like before.

What he doesn’t expect is Bucky swimming into his space and drawing Steve forward by his arms as his legs close around Steve’s waist. He stays there, the water holding most of his weight up as he stares down at Steve, releases his hands and lets them drop on Steve’s shoulders.  

‘’Well?’’ he asks, his breath as cool as a new summer breeze. ‘’How did I do?’’

Steve looks at him and notices all the ways his face crinkles when Bucky’s eyes narrow in that serious way he has of asking for approval. It happens more often that Steve would have thought the day he met him, and he still can’t believe it at times how much Bucky needs to do good by him. Under the sun Bucky’s eyelashes are almost blond, his small turned up nose sunburnt and peeling a little at the tip, a little patch of bright pink skin appearing underneath. He’s panting a little in exertion, his chest heaves and bumps against Steve’s. His arms hold Steve tight, legs fastened behind him and resting over the small of Steve’s back.

Steve doesn’t know what to do with his hands until they find their way under Bucky, supporting him even though he doesn’t really need to. He feels the fabric of the swimming suit and underneath it the muscles of Bucky’s thighs. Steve blushes, feels Bucky’s eyes all over his face.

‘’Err,’’ he stammers. He tries to look away but Bucky is so close, so close he can’t help but look into his eyes; they’re usually a deep blue, but the light and saltwater have turned them a shining brighter shade. ‘’You did good,’’ he whispers. Bucky’s serious stare relaxes and he smiles. He looks stupidly proud of himself. Steve smiles and bumps their heads together gently. ‘’I knew you could do this.’’

‘’And what if I couldn’t?’’ Bucky asks, eyes smiling. His fingers trace along Steve’s back sending shivers down his body where he’s out of the water even though it’s 90 degrees and the rest of him feels like he’s boiling inside.

‘’My ma’ thaught me cardiopulmonary resuscitation,’’ he answers gravelly looking at Bucky straight in the eyes.

Bucky matches his glare and in a small voice asks ‘’Yeah?’’

Steve only has time to nod and the next thing he knows Bucky is kissing him. Like that, all wrapped around him, in the water well above their waists and under the blazing sun.   
  
Under Steve’s tongue Bucky tastes of salt and happiness, a small laugh bubbling up from deep inside him as he grips Steve even tighter and lets his hands mess Steve’s hair up. Steve can’t do much but let himself be taken along for the ride holding Bucky closer, chest to chest, hearts beating faster.

Bucky bites his lip and Steve gasps as a surprised pleasure spikes down his body. He licks into Bucky’s mouth, chases the feeling down until they’re both panting.

When they part Bucky’s skin is flushed, his mouth red and so tender-looking Steve has to nip at it again one more time before he can stop and look up at Bucky’s eyes again.

Bucky looks at him seemingly through a fog until a goofy grin splits his face in two; he’s the picture of mischief and joy. A beautiful happy boy and Steve loves him.

‘’I’ve got enough water for today,’’ he says as he lets go of Steve. He unclings his legs and lets his feet find the riverbed again. Steve misses him already immensely. ‘’Let’s go take a nap. There’s shadows over there and we still have the whole afternoon.’’

Steve nods numbly and lets Bucky take his hand.

‘’Yeah Buck, sure,’’ he smiles and follows Bucky wherever he might lead him.

**Author's Note:**

> my feels are shaped around the form of Sebastian Stan's mouth lately on tumblr @ [brokentoyinlalaland](http://brokentoyinlalaland.tumblr.com/)


End file.
